Miners Split Doubleheader with Grizzlies
Published on May 19, 2016 under Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release
Marion, Ill. - The Southern Illinois Miners split a doubleheader with the Gateway Grizzlies on Wednesday night at Rent One Park, taking the first game 5-3 in seven innings before falling 6-4 in the second game, also in seven innings.
In game one, the Miners took the lead right away on a leadoff solo homer in the first by Craig Massey to make it 1-0. Gateway would respond against Rick Teasley in the third inning, mounting a two-out rally to plate three runs in the third for a 3-1 lead. That lead would stand up until the fifth inning as Gateway starter Vince Molesky held the Miners' offense down. In the fifth, Francisco Rosario led off with a bunt single and was on third base with two outs when Julius Gaines smacked an RBI single to make it 3-2.
Then against reliever Nate Carter (0-1) in the sixth, Alex De Leon tied the score with his first home run of the season, a solo shot to left. Aaron Gates then reached on a wild pitch after striking out, bringing up Steve Marino, who lined a triple down the right field line past a diving Blake Brown, making the score 4-3 Miners. A sacrifice fly by Jordan Brower made the score 5-3, and Gateway would strand the bases loaded in the seventh, giving the Miners the win in the series opener.
In game two, the Miners also scored in the first inning, on a ground ball by Nolan Earley after singles by Massey and Gaines, making it 1-0. After Gateway tied it in the top of the third, the Miners would roar back with three runs in the bottom of the third to make it 4-1 after Brendan O'Brien doubled for his first professional hit and stole third base followed by a hit-by-pitch of Earley and a De Leon sacrifice fly. Back-to-back two-out singles by Gates and Marino plated the Miners' other runs in the inning.
But Gateway would come back in the fourth thanks to four walks by Miners pitching, scoring three runs to knot the score at 4-4. The game remained tied until the top of the seventh, when three more walks added to three wild pitches allowed Gateway to surge ahead for the victory and the split.
The Miners and Grizzlies will face off in a rubber match on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. in Marion, with Jarett Miller getting the start against Gateway's Trevor Richards.
The Southern Illinois Miners are the back-to-back Frontier League East Division Champions and the 2012 Frontier League Champions. They have been awarded the Frontier League Organization of the Year award three times since their inception, and also set a new Frontier League attendance record in 2007, their inaugural season. For ticket information, contact the Rent One Park box office at (618) 998-8499. For any additional information, visit our website at www.southernillinoisminers.com.
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